West Brom lacked ‘risk’ factor in attacking press machine Luton.
Albion boss Carlos Corberan felt his side did not take enough risks in the attacking half in their draw at Luton.
The head coach tweaked his attacking unit at Kenilworth Road but the system was unable to spark the Baggies into a return to winning ways despite taking the lead late in a poor first half edged by the Hatters.
The visitors started with Jed Wallace – in from the off for just the second time – and Karlan Grant in their four-pronged attack. The duo were two of Corberan’s pre-match alterations with two enforced defenders the other switches.
Unusually, though, Albion’s frontline was made up of two sets of two when they set with goalkeeper Alex Palmer on the ball. Lone striker Josh Maja dropped deep, as he thrives doing, and did so next to Grady Diangana with the pair behind wingers Wallace and Grant in front of them.
Both Wallace and Grant got in decent positions at times – the latter was his side’s best attacker – but it was only when Grant sent in a good low cross for Maja’s goal in stoppage time did a move finally click.
Corberan said: “They are a team that every time you start a goal kick they go to press. They are focused to defend going forward than at the back.
“But in general what we didn’t do well enough was to make one or two short passes to probe the press more then play in behind, to surprise more and put the game in the attacking half.
“We were too direct. Without making a short pass we were passing long and we avoided risks too many times in our half of the pitch without linking with the line well enough. For me we didn’t see the quality we have as a team or impose our identity on the pitch.”
The head coach added: “I think we probably didn’t deserve to be leading in the first-half because for me Luton was playing a better first half than us.
“We improved in the second half. The only chance we had in the first half we scored.
“In the second half in the moment we had to extend attacks and create attacks we tried to do it. We used the ball to do more that we needed to do, which was attack more in the attacking half.
“We were very focused to compete in the game and we didn’t impose our identity to perform. We have competed better than we have performed.”
Corberan wanted his side to take more risks in the Luton half to unlock a side most content to defend from the front. But Alex Mowatt’s blind midfield pass to Darnell Furlong was pickpocketed and Tahith Chong found an equaliser.
“We didn’t want to take risks when the ball was in our half in the moment when we were playing out,” Corberan admitted. “But when we had options to play and build in the attacking half the key is this game was to attack then.
“The two things to do against their aggressiveness is to avoid their pressing when you can attack and to impose your identity in the attacking half.”
